Investigators confirm dead teen's identity

December 3, 2008 9:00:00 PM PST

WAKE COUNTY --

Medical examiners confirmed Thursday that the body found in a home off Olive Branch Lane in the New Hill area is 18-year-old Matthew Silliman.Meanwhile, the four teens accused of killing him faced a judge Thursday afternoon in Raleigh. Aadil Shaaid Kahn, 17, Allegra Rose Dahlquist, 17, Drew Logan Shaw, 16, and Ryan Patrick Hare, 18, are being held without bond.

The judge told them they could face life in prison if convicted. None are old enough to be eligible for the death penalty. Hare turned 18-years-old Wednesday, the day the teens were arrested.

According to Silliman's Facebook page, the suspects were all his friends. The teen was first reported missing by his parents on Nov. 26 and authorities had issued a Silver Alert for him. He was last seen less than 10 miles from the crime scene.

Medical examiners say they have not confirmed a cause of death. They are releasing few details, only saying the murder took place on Sunday.

"It's sad. You got at least five families that lost someone and then you've got four people charged and that's the same as losing someone," Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison said.

Neighbors who live near the house where the body was found were shocked by the discovery.

"We don't have anything going on like that around here so it's very scary," said Sue Mulvihill. "It's very sad that from what I understand it might be a teenager. That's sad to end your life so young."

Others remember hearing what may have been a gunshot.

"It was early in the week before Thanksgiving I heard a loud gunshot --a real loud gunshot," neighbor Dickey Miller said. "I looked and I saw the lights were on and that's unusual. I think it's the first time in two years that we've seen a light on up there."

The home reportedly belongs to Dahlquist's family, but currently do not live there.

Dahlquist and Kahn attend Apex High School along with Silliman. Shaw is enrolled at Panther Creek High School, while Hare withdrew from the same school back in February.

Students at Apex High School said Wednesday they were shocked by the news. Classmates who knew them described the group as "goths" --frightening at first, but nice once you got to know them.

"He was a really nice guy. He was really sweet," she said. "A lot of people thought he was kind of scary."

"He was scary, but once you know him he was really sweet and really down to earth," Apex sophomore Audrey Frye added.

Unrelated charges

This is not Hare's first brush with the law. In March, a SWAT team served a warrant at his home in Apex, after students at Panther Creek High School in Cary complained Hare threatened to blow up a school bus.

Police say they called Hare's father asking permission to search their home and when he refused, officials got a warrant. Once inside, they confiscated an assault rifle and ammunition.

Prior to that, Hare was cited for having a weapon on school property. According to investigators, a weapon was found in his SUV while it was parked on Panther Creek High School's campus. A warrant says it was a paintball gun that he may have used to shoot at a school bus after a driver disciplined him.